Two Venezuela Military Officers Killed In Helicopter Crash
Two Venezuelan military personnel were killed and two others injured Tuesday when a Russian-made helicopter crashed in the South American nation, President Nicolas Maduro said.
"Today we have had a sad and regrettable accident in the state of Lara, with an Mi-17 helicopter with two fatalities and two pilots who are fighting for their lives," Maduro said during a meeting with ministers broadcast on state television.
![Emergency responders and military officials work the site of a helicopter crash in Lara, Venezuela that left two military personnel dead](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/3409908/emergency-responders-military-officials-work-site-helicopter-crash-lara-venezuela-that-left.jpg?w=736&f=51609d2b7217b8fb64260c3f5a24fde1)
It was unclear why the chopper went down, and Maduro has ordered an investigation.
The aircraft burst into flames when it crashed, and the injured pilot and co-pilot were pulled to safety by local residents and laborers.
The Venezuelan army said in a statement that the crash occurred during "a supply mission to border protection bases."
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